It’s time for a confession: my Tyranid swarm had been lurking in the shadows of the hobby desk for too long. Earlier this year my goal of completing my Tyranid army in 2024 was looking dicey. The problem was entirely of my own creation – the colour scheme. I simply wasn’t happy with my blue lobster scheme (after painting a squad of 10 Termagants). Finally inspiration struck, and a brand new colour scheme was unleashed upon the galaxy.

I’ve now repainted my army, and while I’m still not quite 100% happy, I’m certainly happy enough to have committed to painting the entire swarm. So, here is how I paint v2 of my Tyranid army…

1. Undercoat white (I’d normally use a GW contrast undercoat, but I’m trying to save money so went for a cheaper white brand, which has worked well).
2. Paint the fleshy dark blue bits with Leviadon Blue.
3. Dry brush that up with a mix of Kantor Blue and Ivory.
4. Clean up any bits of the rest of the model that needs it with a good white paint.
5. Paint the claws with Blood Angels Red, then highlight with a variety of acrylics until you get to a bright orange.
6. Paint the hard outer shell with Aethermatic Blue. I’d like to do something else here, with additional layers and highlights, I’m just still trying to figure out what.
7. Paint any teeth with a 50/50 mix of Skeleton Horde and Contrast Medium.
8. Paint any of the fleshy gills with a 50/50 mix of Volpus Pink and Contrast Medium.

With the final layer of paint dry, the Tyranids are ready to descend upon the battlefield with a fresh and terrifying presence. Remember, in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, there’s always room for a new coat of paint.